Miso Magic's Miso Soup With Pork and Vegetables

This hearty miso soup has a slight sweetness from Japanese sweet potato and rich flavor from the pork. It’s particularly good during the cold winter months. Chef Noriko Hirayama says any miso paste will work, though red miso has a stronger flavor. As for the thin fried tofu (called abura agé), she prefers the House Foods brand.

Prepare a small bowl with 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon vinegar (any kind). Scrape the skin off the burdock and cut it on the diagonal into 1-1/2-inch-long pieces. Place in the vinegar-water to soak for a few minutes (to keep it from discoloring). Drain.

Rinse the fried tofu with boiling water to remove excess oil. Cut it in half, then into 1/4-inch strips.

In a large pot, bring the dashi stock to a boil over medium high heat. Add all the ingredients except the scallions, miso and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer until vegetables are cooked but not too soft, occasionally skimming foam off the surface if necessary. Remove from heat. If you have a small strainer, place the miso in it, dip it into the soup just until the miso is partially submerged, and use the back of a spoon to stir the soup liquid into the miso, dissolving it while leaving the large particles in the strainer; discard.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with scallions and a dash of pepper (optional) on top.

Notes: If you don’t want to make the dashi stock, substitute with 5 cups water and 5 teaspoons dashi powder.